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Just In Time for Valentine’s Day; Clinical Ways to Mend a Broken Heart
Medical gels that mimic human cells and tissues
Cardiovascular disease claims nearly 1 million lives in America every year. It remains the leading cause of death in the United States.
Not all heart attacks are fatal though. The vast majority though, somewhere around 88% of those who have a heart attack will survive.
That’s the good news.
Here’s the bad news — heart attacks can have a lasting impact on cardiovascular tissue. This damage usually comes with impaired heart function, which can limit an individual’s physical ability.
That’s where a new type of gel comes in.
Scientists from the University of Waterloo — alongside researchers from the University of Toronto and Duke University — designed a medical grade gel, made using cellulose nano crystals. These cellulose crystals come from a common material; wood pulp.
Clinical applications for the gel go beyond damaged heart tissue.
Researchers are hoping to treat certain types of cancer as well.
Mending hearts
No organ works harder than the heart. When cardiovascular tissue is damaged, that can make an already…
